A disturbing scene unfolded on Wednesday morning in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, when a suspected road rage incident ended in gunfire and a crash along I-470. 
While police continue investigating what sparked the confrontation, many residents are left shaken again.
The echoes of gunfire are becoming all too familiar in a region already under pressure from a silent, but equally deadly, emergency: mental health neglect.
As headlines report each act of violence, the deeper, quieter stories often go untold, the anxiety people carry while commuting, the emotional weight felt by youth and adults alike, and the increasing number of people unable to get the help they need.
According to Mental Health America’s 2024 State of Mental Health in America report, Missouri ranks 44th overall among all U.S. states when it comes to mental health, one of the lowest in the country.
Kansas, its neighbor, ranks 22nd. But while Kansas appears better off by comparison, both states are struggling with specific issues that put the well-being of residents at risk.
A Snapshot of Mental Health in Missouri and Kansas
- Missouri ranks 41st in the U.S. for the percentage of adults experiencing serious thoughts of suicide with 5.61% of adults (more than 264,000 people) reporting suicidal ideation.
- Kansas ranks 28th, with 5.31% of adults experiencing similar distress translating to over 116,000 people.
- Youth in both states are suffering. 21.59% of Missouri teens (ages 12–17) experienced a major depressive episode in the last year. For Kansas, that number was 20.34%.
- Mental health workforce availability is also strained:
- Missouri has 430 people for every 1 provider,
- Kansas has 450 to 1,
compared to the national average of 340 to 1.
This data paints a troubling picture: thousands are suffering in silence, and many don’t have access to help either because they can’t afford it or because there simply aren’t enough providers available.
A City on Edge
When tragedies like the I-470 road rage incident occur, they’re often seen as isolated events. But for those who study community mental health, they are signs of something larger.
Stress, trauma, and unaddressed mental illness are known risk factors for aggressive behavior.
And when left untreated, especially in regions with high barriers to care, these risks grow into public safety concerns.
Yet many Missouri and Kansas residents don’t even realize how thin the mental health safety net has become.
The State of Mental Health in America report found that 66.7% of Kansas youth with major depression received no treatment. Missouri fared only slightly better, with 53.3% untreated.
Even when treatment is available, it’s not always effective.
In Missouri, only 36.5% of youth with depression who received care reported it helped them – ranking 48th out of 51. In Kansas, that number was 58.2%.
What Needs to Change
The violence on our streets and the mental distress in our homes are connected. If we want a safer Kansas City, we must treat mental health with the urgency it deserves.
Based on guidance from Mental Health America and foorum Nexus, here are three community-driven recommendations for Kansas City leaders:
- Invest in early intervention and school-based programs.
Kansas and Missouri both have room to expand youth-focused services. Early intervention can reduce long-term mental health burdens and prevent crises. - Expand the peer support workforce.
Peer support specialists, people with lived experience, are proven to reduce hospital visits and improve mental health outcomes. Kansas City should make hiring and training them a top priority. - Fund mobile mental health response teams.
When a crisis happens, like Wednesday’s road rage incident, police shouldn’t be the only response option. Kansas City can build mobile units to respond to calls with mental health professionals, de-escalating potentially dangerous situations before they spiral.
The emotional toll in our region is rising and it doesn’t always show up in police reports or ER visits.
But it’s there, beneath the surface, in the anxiety of drivers, the hopelessness of teens, and the quiet breakdowns at kitchen tables.
Mental health isn’t a side issue. In Missouri and Kansas, it’s a public safety issue.
And it’s time we treat it like one.
